Holy hoses, dodgy stats.

[Mountain]

Hopefully all the other bleeding problems (no swearing intended) were linked to excess system pressure due to a compromised head gasket.

Exactly what I was thinking. It was just bubbling too long and too much for my liking, but I had nothing to compare it with.

I mean, just how much air can come out in a bleeding session? I was getting bubbles akin to blowing into a straw in a glass of water.....for a long time.
With hindsight that is just too much and has got to point to a head gasket failure surely?

[mikeonb4c]

Hopefully all the other bleeding problems (no swearing intended) were linked to excess system pressure due to a compromised head gasket.

Exactly what I was thinking. It was just bubbling too long and too much for my liking, but I had nothing to compare it with.

I mean, just how much air can come out in a bleeding session? I was getting bubbles akin to blowing into a straw in a glass of water.....for a long time.
With hindsight that is just too much and has got to point to a head gasket failure surely?

Almost certainly linked to head gasket failure. Mine hardly produced any burping out of the bleed hose when I did it recently.

One thing I would ask the mechanic to consider doing is what Simon Jones recommends i.e. deck the block properly using v. fine wet and dry on a granite block and use the gasket sealant he used when rebuilding. If it's a labour cost issue maybe he'd put the job ot one side for a bit and let you do that bit of the work (see ADAMDs current thread for talk about doing this job). Also, get him to order any kit from the Bongo Fury shop unless he can assure you that he has some other reliable source of quality parts (and at a better price!)

[Mountain]

One thing I would ask the mechanic to consider doing is what Simon Jones recommends i.e. deck the block properly using v. fine wet and dry on a granite block and use the gasket sealant he used when rebuilding. If it's a labour cost issue maybe he'd put the job ot one side for a bit and let you do that bit of the work (see ADAMDs current thread for talk about doing this job). Also, get him to order any kit from the Bongo Fury shop unless he can assure you that he has some other reliable source of quality parts (and at a better price!)

The guy is sending the head off for skimming in the morning, he says he always skims Bongo heads. Knows his Bongos, so I'm willing to let someone who knows what they are doing sort the head out.
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I'm OK with nuts and bolts stuff but some things are better left to the experts....just costs a lot more.

[mikeonb4c]

One thing I would ask the mechanic to consider doing is what Simon Jones recommends i.e. deck the block properly using v. fine wet and dry on a granite block and use the gasket sealant he used when rebuilding. If it's a labour cost issue maybe he'd put the job ot one side for a bit and let you do that bit of the work (see ADAMDs current thread for talk about doing this job). Also, get him to order any kit from the Bongo Fury shop unless he can assure you that he has some other reliable source of quality parts (and at a better price!)

The guy is sending the head off for skimming in the morning, he says he always skims Bongo heads. Knows his Bongos, so I'm willing to let someone who knows what they are doing sort the head out.
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I'm OK with nuts and bolts stuff but some things are better left to the experts....just costs a lot more.

Get the head crack tested too if he's not going to fit a new one. But its the block that also needs flatting in order to get a good result according to Simon Jones (and my instincts agree with him). He may not want to do it as its a faff (need to protect chambers, oilways etc. and clean out grindings etc.) but I reckon its a good investment to have it done. Similarly, I believe conventional wisdom is not to use gasket sealant, but Simon Jones advocates it (worth reading up on it). But of course if the mechanic has done lots of Bongos, got good results, and is guaranteeing this job, he may not thank us for teaching him how to suck eggs and perhaps we'd better relax and back off

[missfixit70]

Bear in mind Simons tips re decking the block & gasket sealant came from Bellhill, who know a thing or 2 about bongos

[Mountain]

Get the head crack tested too if he's not going to fit a new one. But its the block that also needs flatting in order to get a good result according to Simon Jones (and my instincts agree with him). He may not want to do it as its a faff (need to protect chambers, oilways etc. and clean out grindings etc.) but I reckon its a good investment to have it done. Similarly, I believe conventional wisdom is not to use gasket sealant, but Simon Jones advocates it (worth reading up on it). But of course if the mechanic has done lots of Bongos, got good results, and is guaranteeing this job, he may not thank us for teaching him how to suck eggs and perhaps we'd better relax and back off

Yep, he's crack testing too! Had all the peripherals off and was just about to remove the head when I rang.
Fingers crossed no cracks

[Mountain]

Bear in mind Simons tips re decking the block & gasket sealant came from Bellhill, who know a thing or 2 about bongos

Will ask him about flatting the block when he reports back to me tomorrow after the head has been crack tested & skimmed.

Fingers crossed....surely something has to go right

[missfixit70]

Hope so too Sounds like you were unlucky with this one, or someone offloaded one they knew was iffy

[Mountain]

Hope so too Sounds like you were unlucky with this one, or someone offloaded one they knew was iffy

Yeah, someone has obviously attempted something with the coolant, to get the caps on the wrong way around.

As for buying, it is very good underneath, no sign of oil or water leaks plus I wasn't aware of the coolant issues. I'd also heard good reports from owners. Thought I'd bagged a bargain. However, it was on the cheap side.

I suspect one of the tiny hose leaks had dropped the coolant level and someone just topped it up and was oblivious to the bleeding procedure. Obviously, had took the rad cap off to check the level too.
Looks like it was more down to ignorance than anything.
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One things for sure, when it's up and running I'll be checking the coolant level religiously and doing regular oil and filter changes.
I've been running old diesels for years and with regular oil changes and stringent coolant monitoring they have run forever.

[missfixit70]

It's one of the issues that can be a real PITA with these, especially if people aren't aware of things like incompatible coolants, bleeding procedure, etc, which, TBH, most people aren't aware of & aren't particularly bothered until they get problems.
It still astounds me that people can own a vehicle for months if not years & still not be aware of where the engine is & how to check levels
Console yourself with the thought you got it cheap & if it's a good rustfree example, once this is sorted, it should do you for years to come.

[Mountain]

Yeah, people who I work with think I'm a bit odd because, "I spend a lot of time on my car"!!
They seem to think routine maintenance and checks means there is something wrong with it. These are the people that never check the oil or coolant and and pay thousands in garage bills to dealers. More fool them!
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I've just had 165,000miles out of a Peugeot diesel. 4 years and aside from brakes and tyres I only bought a temp sensor for £14.00 in all that time. Well, until I got 'crashed for cash' in an insurance scam
My bad luck this year is almost becoming comical
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As you say, once the Bongo is up and running, proper maintenance and routine checks should keep it that way for years.
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Plus my 5yr old son has already named him 'Sidney'